Have you ever heard of creating a home decorating mood board? You may have seen one before on Pinterest or while surfing home decor blogs and thought they look so beautiful.
Have you ever thought about creating a mood board for your home? These cool design tools are not just for the professionals.
F’real you can create your own home decorating mood board for any space in your home. To do so is far easier than you may believe. And I am going to show you how in this simple tutorial.
What is a Home Decorating Mood Board?
A mood board is a physical or, more often now, a digital board that is a collection of ideas for a space to convey your design goal. Mood boards can include paint colors, furniture, home accessories, wall decor, and anything else that helps you visually illustrate what you would like your home to look like when you are finished decorating it.
Why Create a Mood Board?
Creating a home decorating mood board is a smart idea if you feel stuck when decorating. A mood board can help give you a goal and focused direction.
I find after creating a mood board I am more excited about starting. It is easier to be successful because my thoughts are not scattered and I have a clearer sense of my desired results.
If you have ever found yourself second guessing your choices because you are not sure how everything will look together, you’re going to love making a mood board. Instead of worrying what will look good together, a mood board can test home decor and furnishings out before you buy them. This is a big time and money saver.
Now you know why interior designers, like me, love home decorating mood boards.
How to Create a Home Decorating Mood Board Like a Pro
Okay, now that you know how awesome mood boards are, I am going to show you some simple steps I use to create a mood board. To do this, I am going to walk you through a real mood board I recently designed for my master bedroom.
I haven’t gotten to making over my master bedroom yet since I’ve been focused on the main floor of my home. However, part of me wishes I would have started here because bedrooms are such a rejuvenating space in a home.
Having a blah, bedroom can really suck the energy right out of you. So decorating your bedroom can help relax you, energize your soul, and inspire you along your home decorating journey.
Step 1: Whatcha Got, Whatcha Need
As with any decorating project, it is first important to take an inventory of what you have already that you can use in your makeover and what you will need to purchase to complete the room. Never feel like you have to buy all new stuff when decorating. In most cases you will have some items that can work.
This will save you time and money because you won’t buy or spend time looking for home furnishings you don’t need.
In the case of my master bedroom, we have a bed frame, night stands, and dresser which could be reused. I will probably chalk paint some of the furniture to add color and fit it into the overall style of the room, which is Farmhouse Chic.
Also, I don’t need to repaint the room because the current color, a nice medium gray, will still work.
I will need a lot when it comes to home accessories. My master bedroom has been neglected in the style department. This makeover will change that.
Step 2: Find Some Inspiration
Next thing you will want to do is look for inspiration. Find images you love and represent the look and feel you want for your space. Great places to look are Pinterest, blogs, Houzz, and home decor magazines.
Compile all the images you love, either in a Pinterest board, Houzz Ideabook, or, if you have physical images, in a binder. The goal during this step is to discover common decorating elements you are drawn to. This could be paint colors, patterns, furniture, and home accessories.
Step 3: Make Your Board
If you are making a digital mood board, don’t worry there is no need to know how to use Photoshop. There are great websites that make creating a home decorating mood board a breeze. My two personal favorite websites to use are Canva and Olioboard.
For this mood board, I am going to walk you through a simple tutorial on how to use Olioboard. I promise, even if you don’t consider yourself tech savvy you can do this, Scouts Honor.
Start With the Knows
The first items I add to my blank mood board are items I know will be in the room. This is typically furniture, bedding, lamps, floor rug, etc. Any you know you will use or need to buy.
You can either browse through the items Olioboard has in their library or upload your own images you have saved from other websites. If you can’t find your exact furniture you can usually find something similar in style and quality. This is not my bedroom furniture, but it is a good placeholder as I built this mood board.
Start Creating Your Room
This part is almost as fun as going shopping for home decor. Now it is time to build your room by adding in more layers of furnishings and accessories. I know I want a chair for reading, so I put a few that liked on the board. Then I will narrow down to one once I see everything together. This is like testing furniture before you buy.
I love all three chair options! All would work. However, I believe the simplicity of the white arm chair is perfect. Now to my favorite part, layering in home accessories.
Like I said, my master bedroom is lacking personality and style. To infuse some style into my bedroom I need to add home furnishings, decor, and wall art. Laying in home accessories onto my mood board definitely adds the farmhouse style look I want. My favorite accessories are the driftwood mirror, wooden bucket for a trash can, and the teal distressed truck at the end of the bed.
When adding accessories, just start throwing anything on your mood board that you love. Then go back only keep the items you really love. This will help your mood board from looking too cluttered.
Lastly, I add a paint color as a background finish to the mood board. This finishing step really completes the picture. I love how this home decorating mood board came out. I am looking forward to turning this board into a reality.
Here is the final version of my Farmhouse Style Master Bedroom Mood Board…I LOVE IT!
I hope you will explore using a mood board for your next home decorating project. Creating a mood board is fun, motivating, and great way to illustrate your fabulous vision that is stuck in your head.
If you are still unsure how to use Olioboard, here is a video tutorial to walk through and help you.
